Mechanical pencil



July 17, 192s.

J. sTRAKA MECHANICAL PENCIL Original Filed April 28, 1922 fige ' ,Parental .inl-y 17, 192s.

UNITED STATES 1,617,415 PTENT OFFICE.

some. s'rnAxA, or cHIcAGo, rumors, AssIGNon ro rma wAm. conrm, or

' omesso, rumors, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

mscHANIcAL man..

Application med April 28, 1922, Serial 11a-557,199.' Renewed November 10,1924.

My invention relates to pencils, and particularly to that class known as mechanical pencils. Q y

The primary object of the invention is to 6 provide a structure that is simple and economical to manufacture, it having very few parts, and those parts being easily constructed and exceedingly durable. A further ob-` ject of my invention is to4 provide a simple I mechanism'for repelling `and ropelling the lead into and from the tip y a relative co-acting movement of the tip and the barrel. A still further object of my invention is to provide the aforementioned propelling l mechanism with means for excluding all of the lead from the ti e Other objects apigear hereinafter as the specification procee The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed and will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specieation, and in which, Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of the mechanical pencil disclosed in my ciiication, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectlonal view, Fig. 3 is a sectional view of part ofthe propelling mechanism Fig. 4 is a side elevation 'of the rotatable and removable tip,

Fig. 5 is a' cross sectional view on the line.

` 5 5 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional 'view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

The numeral 1 indicates a barrel'milled at its lower extremity to form a Hush seat for a rotatable tip 2, and milled at its 11ppermost extremity to forma Hush seat for 10 a sleeve 3 wherein is. seated an eraser 4 in the manner as shown in the drawing'. Interiorly of the`barrel are apertures 5 and 6, the upper bein used for the holding of surplus'leads, the ower being fashioned to permit the entrance of a feeding mechanism 7 and an extended portion 8 of the tip 2. The uppermost portion of the aperture 6 is reduced4 and squared to permit longitudinal movement of the squared end of the feeding v: mechanism 7 and its co-operating part 9,

but being so formed as to prevent relative turning of the aforementioned parts, the lower portion of the aperture being circular in conformation to permit the turning of o5 the squared ends of the members 7 and 9 when they have advaneed from theI squared .aperture into the circular aperture.

4a hollow shell swedged andslotted at one end to form a clutch for gripping the lead and having threads rolled thereon to cooperate with the threads in the member 8 for advancing and retractingY said mechanism to and from the tip. e upper portion of the member 7 is squared as at 14, and as explained heretofore, is so formed to prevent relative turning between the member 7 and the barrel 1 until-the feeding mechanism has advanced into the aperture 6. Mounted in the hollow member 7 is a projecting wire 9 its lower portion 9 being indented vas at 15,A said indentation being formed to act asY threads which co-operate with the internal threads of the member 7 for advancing the. projecting wire 9 longitudinally of the said member 7. Fixed on the uppermost portion of the projecting wire 9" is a squared head 12. To prevent the projecting wire 9 from becoming completely disengaged from the member 7, the gsaid member,7 is""indented as at 13, said indentation being placed between the threads as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The operation of the pencil is as follows:

When the lead has been exhausted from the tip, the tip is pulled longitudinally away from the body, said separation bringing with it members 8, 7 and 9.' The projecting wire 9'l is then unscrewed until the thread thereon contacts with the stop 13. A lead is in- 100 troduced into the slotted end of the member 7 until it contacts with the end of ,theprojecting member 9. The member 37 is then screwed into the threaded tube 8 andthe square heads of the member 7 and 12 are 105 ahgned; vwhereupon the whole mechanism is slipped into the lower aperture and turned until the heads 12 and 14 will engage in the squared portion of the aperture- 6. The flanged portions of the tip will slip over the 11 v12 and 14 will milled end of the barrel and the mechanism is frietionally held therein by said engagement. To propel the lead the tip is held lirmly in one hand and the barrel is turned in a clockwise direction. The squared heads prevent the feeding mechanism from turning relatively to the barrel until said feeding mechanism has traveled a limited distance; the threads on the feeding mechanism threads of the member 8 fixed to the tip 2 cause the feeding mechanism to be advanced longitudinally and the lead thus-propelled. This advancement of the feeding mechanism will continue until the squared head 14 reaches the circlar shaped portion of the aperture, whereupon the member 7 will revolve with the tip 2. The projecting wire 9 and the squared head 12 continue to advance until the said head l2 will clear the squared aperture and enter into the circular shaped aperture.y This will result in the forcin of the remaining particle of lead from t e clutch at the end of the member 7, leaving the said clutch clear and ready for the reception of another lead.

lVhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my `invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit .of the invention. I, therefore, do not Wish to -be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the spirit of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A pencil comprising a hollow handle portion having a lengthwise extending open ended guideway therein, a pencil tip rotatively and removably secured on the open end of said handle portion, a lead receiving tubular member removable with said tip and extending into said handle portion and formed with a spiral track, a lead feeding member relatively movable in said tubular member and having track engaging'means co-operating with said spiral track to move the lead 4feeding member in an endwise direction when said tubular member is rotated relative to said lead feeding member, means for holding a lead in said lead feedin member and means for expellin said lea therefrom when the lead feeding member has progressed to the lower extremity of the t1p.

2. A pencil comprising a barrel,'a tip rotatably and removably engaging said barrel, a lead support provided-with externally and internally threaded portions, a sleeve member secured atone end to sadftip and havmg a portion complemental to the external thread of lsaid lead support, a fragment co-operating with the ejector having a portion complemental to the internal thread of said lead support, means for preventing relative rotation of said barrel and said lead support, so that relativel rotation of the barrel and the tip will cause said lead support to travel longitudinally of the barrel, said rotation preventing means being active until the lead support has travelled a. predetermined d1stance,4 and means for preventing relative rotation of said lead support and said fraglnent ejector, so that when the lead support is freed from its rotation preventing means a relative rotation of said lead support 'and saidfragment ejector may be obtained.

3. A pencil comprising a barrel, a tip rotatably and removably engaging said barrel, a lead support longitudinally movable within said barrel and having a helical guide, a sleeve member secured to said tip and having means engaging said helical guide, said barrel and said lead support having automatically releasable means for preventing relative rotation thereof, so that said sleeve will cause said lead support to travel longitudinally in said barrel when the barrel and the tip are rotated relative to each other, a lead fragment ejector having means actuated by said helical guide, and means preventing relative .rotation of said barrel and said fragment ejector, so that when the vlead support is freed nfrom its rotation preventing n'icans, a relative rotation of said lead support and said fragment ejector may be obtained.

4. A pencil comprising a barrel, a tip rotatably and removably engaging said barrel, a lead -supporta sleeve fixed to said tip,

said sleeve and said lead support having complemental means by which relative rotational movement will ellect longitudinal travel of said lead support; means for reventing relative rotative movement of san barrel and said 'lead support during 'the longitudinal travel of the lead support comprising a non-circular portion on said support slidable'in anon-circular opening in said barrel, so that relative rotation of the barrel and the tip VYwill prod uce said longitudinal movement, a -lea-d ejector engaging means operated lby relative rotationV of the barrel and the tip for advancing said ejector at the end of the longitudinal movement of .said lead support.

5. A pencil comprising a barrel having a bore formed with a non-circular portion and an enlarged'portion; a tip rotatably and removably engaging said barrel, a lead support having .a non-circular head adapted to slide in the non-circular portion of the barrel bore, means operated by relative. rotation of said barrel and said tip for impartinglongitudinal movement tc said lead support, a lead ejector engaging said lead support and having a 'nen-circular head, and means opsaid lead support, and

erated by rel-ative rotation of said barrel and said tip for advancing said'lead ejector at 'the end of longitudinal movement of said lead support in one direction.

6. A pencil comprising a barrel, a tip rotatablyv and removably engaging said barrel, a lead support having a non-clrcular head,`

screw threaded engagement means 4operated by the relative rotation of said barrel and non-circular heads andoperated by relative` rotation of said barrel and said tip for ad-I vancing-said lead ejector at the end ofthe longitudinal movement of the lead support in one direction.

7. A pencil comprising a barrel having a bore of circular cross-section leading in from one end and provided with an extension of reduced angular cross-section, atip rotatably and removably engaging said barrel, a lead support longitudinally movable in said bore and having a portion complementahto and engaging the angular extension of the bore to prevent relative rotation, means operated by relative rotation of said barrel and said `tip for imparting longitudinal movement4 to said lead support until said support is disengaged from the extension of said bore, a lead ejector having a portion 'complemental to and engaging the angular extension of said bore to prevent relative rotation of the ejector and the barrel, said ejector and said lead support having complemental means for advancing the ejector upon continued relative rotatlon of the barrel and the tip after said lead support has been movedout of ngagement with the angular portion ofsaid ore.

8. In a pencil a hollow handle having a longitudinal guideway therein, a tip rotatably and removabl mounted on one end of said handle, a lea support associated with said tip and handle, a lead fragment ejector mounted inqsaid guideway' and associated with said lead support and said handle, said lead support being 'also' mounted in said guidewa ,y against rotation with relationto the han le but movable longitudinally therein until it moves out of said guideway after which the handle and support rotate relal tively to each other While the ejector continues to advance in said guideway to eject ythe unused fragment of lead.

9.y In a'pencil a. hollowhandle having a tip rotatably mounted thereon, a lead support associated with said tip and handle, and a lead fragment ejector, said ejector and support being lixed to rotate together for a part of their travel and arranged to thereafter rotate relatively to' each other 'continuously l through a substantial distance for ejectment of the unused fragment of lead.

10. In a pencil a hollow handle havin a tip rotatably mounted at one end, the hol ow of the handle being'non-circular in crosssection for a portion of its length, andcircular for another portion of its length, a lead support associated with the tip and handle, av

lead fragment ejector, the support and ejec- -tor each having a non-circular head adapted for longitudinal non-rotatable movement in said non-circular portion of the handle opening, -the head on the support having rotational movement in the circular portion of the handle as soon as it has longitudinally passed out of the non-circular portion.

11. In a pencil a hollow handle, a tip, alead support and a lead fragment ejector, and means for causing the support and ejector to be fixed against rotation relatively to each other but move longitudinally together in the handle and to thereafter rotate relatively,to each other through at least substantially l -JoHN s'rnAKa.

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